Rolls-Royce Phantom II Sports Saloon by James Young

The Rolls-Royce Phantom II was introduced in 1929 at the Olympia Car Show in London. At that time, a Rolls-Royce consisted of a chassis, bulkhead, engine, grille and accessories. This whole was transported to a coachbuilder who turned it into a custom car in consultation with the customer. The chassis and engine of the Phantom II were among the last masterpieces of Sir Henry Royce. The Phantom II belongs to the model line of the large Rolls-Royce models, which was started in 1906 by the 40/50 hp Silver Ghost.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom II is considered Rolls-Royce's pre-war masterpiece. The car met all requirements and was technically up to date in design, retaining the mechanical excellence of the Silver Ghost and the Phantom I.
Striking features of the new car were the unit construction of the engine and gearbox, the excellent driving and handling and the better brakes. The Phantom II was powered by a 7,668 cc six-cylinder in-line pushrod engine with overhead valves, which ran almost silently. This engine produced more than enough power to propel the most flamboyant bodywork custom-made by coachbuilders in Britain, Europe and America.
The chassis of the Phantom II was completely new. The cantilever springs were replaced by semi-elliptic leaf springs. All modifications resulted in a lower construction of the chassis than before, which improved road holding. Improvements had also been made to the servo power brakes and the central lubrication system.
From 1929 to 1936, a total of 1,402 examples of the standard Phantom II chassis and 278 of the shorter Phantom II Continental chassis were built. More than 90% of these cars were right-hand drive.
The Phantom II was highly sought after by industrialists, European nobility and royal families; the customer list reads like an international Who's Who.

This Rolls-Royce Phantom II Sports Saloon by James Young was sold on March 1, 1934 to its first owner: Mr. A.C. Wall Esq. from Birmingham, reportedly a (then) well-known industrialist. The automobile is a very fine example of the custom-made bodies of the James Young company, one of the best coachbuilders of those years. The special and elegant design of this Phantom II was worth a mention in two reference works: 'Rolls-Royce, The Derby Phantoms' and 'The Rolls-Royce Phantom II & III'.
The Rolls-Royce production card (copy available) states that the car was intended for 'town work and touring'. There was room for seven people thanks to the ingenious fold-out seats, nicely hidden in the backrest of the front seat. The division that separated the passengers from the driver compartment can be turned down. According to Rolls-Royce, this will create an 'owner driver sports saloon', especially intended for the owner who does not always want to be driven but also likes to sit behind the wheel himself. At the buyer's request, louvres were installed in the hood. A light bulb holder with spare bulbs for the striking Marchal headlights was installed in the car in the footwell of the front passenger seat. Other special options ordered by the owner were an opening windshield, sun visors, extra rear seats, picnic tables and a blind for the rear window.

This Phantom II James Young has been driven regularly, year in and year out, and has been kept in good technical condition. As a result, it starts and drives excellently and is ready for any desired use, without any additional work. The car was repainted some time ago in the then favorite color combination of the English royal family: Dark Balmoral Green over Black. Furthermore, it is highly original and has matching numbers. The interior, which consists of black leather in the front and the distinguishing West-of-England cloth (a chic type of fabric) in the back, is original and in very good condition. A large amount of documentation, as well as technical books, make this car complete. This is a Rolls-Royce that exudes real English class and provides a lot of driving pleasure!